AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



245 



fatigue. As we came up to the dogs, we discovered the 

 ferocious animal lying across a large branch, close to the 

 trunk of a cotton-wood tree. His broad breast lay towards 

 us; his eyes were at one time bent on us and again on the 

 dogs beneath and around him; one of his fore legs hung 

 loosely by his side, and he lay crouched, with his ears low- 

 ered close to his head, as if he thought he might remain un- 

 discovered. Three balls were fired at him, at a given 

 signal, on which he sprang a few feet from the branch, and 

 tumbled headlong to the ground. Attacked on all sides by 

 the enraged curs, the infuriated Cougar fought with despe- 

 rate valour; but the squatter advancing in front of the party, 

 and almost in the midst of the dogs, shot him immediately 

 behind and beneath the left shoulder. The Cougar writhed 

 for a moment in agony, and in another lay dead. 



The sun was now sinking in the west. Two-of the hun- 

 ters separated from the rest, to procure venison, whilst the 

 squatter's sons were ordered to make the best of their way 

 home, to be ready to feed the hogs in the morning. The 

 rest of the party agreed to camp on the spot. The Cougar 

 was despoiled of its skin, and its carcass left to the hungry 

 dogs. Whilst engaged in preparing our camp, we heard 

 the report of a gun, and soon after one of our hunters re- 

 turned with a small deer. A fire was lighted, and each 

 hunter displayed his jmne of bread, along with a flask of 

 whiskey. The deer was skinned in a trice, and slices placed 

 on sticks before the fire. These materials aflbrded us an 

 excellent meal, and as the night grew darker, stories and 

 songs went round, until my companions, fatigued, laid them- 

 selves down, close under the smoke of the fire, and soon 

 fell asleep. 



I walked for some minutes round the camp, to contem- 

 plate the beauties of that nature, from which I have certainly 

 derived my greatest pleasures. I thought of the occurrences 

 of the day, and glancing my eye around, remarked the sin- 

 gular effects produced by the phosphorescent qualities of 

 the large deca3'ed trunks which lay in all directions around 

 me. How easy, I thought, would it be for the confused 

 and agitated mind of a person bewildered in a swamp like 

 this, to imagine in each of these luminous masses some 

 wondrous and fearful being, the very sight of which might 

 make the hair stand erect on his head. The thought of 

 being myself placed in such a predicament burst over my 

 mind, and I hastened to join my companions, beside whom 

 I laid me down and slept, assured that no enemy could ap- 

 proach us without first rousing the dogs, which were growl- 

 ing in fierce dispute over the remains of the Cougar. 



At daybreak we left our camp, the squatter bearing on 



his shoulder the skin of the late destroyer of his stock, and 



retraced our steps until we found our horses, which had not 



strayed far from the place where we had left them. These 



3Q 



we soon saddled, and jogging along, in a direct course, 

 guided by the sun, congratulating each other on the destruc- 

 tion of so formidable a neighbour as the panther had been, 

 we soon arrived at my host's cabin. The five neighbours 

 partook of such refreshment as the house could afford, and 

 dispersing, returned to their homes, leaving me to follow 

 my favourite pursuits. — Audubon's American Ornitho- 

 logical Biogra2Jhy. 



THE ELEPHANT. 



The human race excepted, the Elephant is the most 

 respectable of animals. In size he surpasses all other ter- 

 restrial creatures, and in understanding he is inferior only 

 to man. Of all the brute creation, the Elephant, the dog, 

 the ape, and the beaver, are most admirable for their saga- 

 city; but the genius of the dog is only borrowed, being 

 instructed by man in almost every thing he knows; the 

 monkey has only the appearance of wisdom, and the beaver 

 if only sensible with regard to himself, and those of hia 

 species. The Elephant is superior to them all three; he 

 unites all their most eminent qualities. The hand is the 

 principal organ of the monkey's dexterity; the Elephant 

 with his trunk, which serves him instead of arms and hands, 

 with which he can lift up, and seize the smallest, as well as 

 the largest objects, carry them to his mouth, place them on 

 his back, hold them, or throw them afar off, has the same 

 dexterity as the monkey, and at the same time the tractable- 

 ness of the dog; he is like him susceptible of gratitude, 

 capable of a strong attachment; he uses himself to man with- 

 out reluctance, and submits to him, not so much by force, 

 as b}^ good treatment; he serves him with zeal, intelligence, 

 and fidelity; in fine, the Elephant, like the beaver, loves 

 the society of his equals, and makes them understand him. 

 They are often seen to assemble together, disperse, act in 

 concert, and if they do not erect buildings, and do not work 

 in common, it is perhaps, for want of room only, and tran- 

 quillity; for men have very anciently multiplied in all the 

 regions inhabited by the Elephant; he consequently lives in 

 fear and anxiety, and is no where a peaceful posse.^sor of a 

 space large and secure enough to establish his habitation on 

 a settled spot. Every being in nature has his real price, 

 and relative value; to judge of both in the Elephant, we 

 must allow him at least the judgment of the beaver, the 

 dexterity of the monkey, the sentiment of the dog, and 

 to add to these qualifications, the peculiar advantages of 

 strength, size, and longevity. We must not forget his 

 arms, or his defence, with which he can pierce through, 



